The invention relates generally to lockouts for automotive transmission shifters and more particularly, to an improved pull-type lockout actuator.
The disclosures of the aforementioned patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference. Gimbal-type automotive manual transmission shifters are known and the aforementioned parent applications relate to a gimbal-type manual automotive transmission shifter for shifting an automotive transmission with a pair of flexible shielded cables and an improved gear lockout for the same, respectively. The present invention relates to a pull-type gear lockout actuator that while particularly adapted for use with the shifters disclosed in the aforementioned applications is not limited thereto in its utility.
Various types of lockout mechanisms have been provided with automotive transmission shifters. In one type of reverse gear lockout the gear selecting shift lever must be simultaneously lifted and aligned with a gate before the shift lever can be pivoted into engagement with a reverse gear actuator. In another type of reverse gear lockout, biasing means is provided to normally bias the gear selecting shift lever away from the reverse gear actuating position. Thus, to shift into reverse with this type of lockout a force substantially greater than the normal gear shifting force is required to overcome the lockout bias.
Still other types of reverse gear lockout mechanisms used with automotive transmissions employ a so-called positive lock comprising a mechanical stop or the like which may be removed only by some action independent from the normal shifting action of the gear selecting shift lever. For example, with such a lockout, reverse gear may only be entered by actuating a separate reverse gear lockout lever that is independent from the principal gear selecting shift lever. Of these prior art positive lock lockout mechanisms, those employing a pushbutton release or pull ring release disposed on the handle of the gear selecting shift lever are most desirable. The advantages of this type of lockout mechanism center about operator convenience and aesthetic appeal.
In prior art pushbutton or pull ring actuated positive lock-type lockouts generally a rigid push or pull rod is used to interconnect the pull ring or pushbutton disposed atop the shift lever and a displaceable detent means disposed in the body of the transmission shifter. The principal problem with prior art lockout actuators of this type stems from the fact that a separate push or pull rod must be designed for each shift lever having a different length or angular orientation with regard to the body of the shifter. Of course, this adds to the cost of the shifter. Furthermore, these push and pull rods must be manufactured to certain dimensional tolerences and failure to meet these tolerences results in the additional cost of hand fitting the rod or accepting the cost of discarding a certain percentage of the rods.
Flexible push or pull rods are found in the prior art for interconnecting shift lever mounted pushbuttons or pull rings and a lockout actuator or gear detent means disposed in the body of the shifter. Typically, these flexible rods function much like a flexible shielded cable known in the art as a Bowden cable and in one prior art pushbutton detent actuator, a flexible polymeric push rod is used that extends through a tubular shift lever handle. The structurally rigid tubular shift lever handle provides the necessary support for the polymeric push rod in effect forming a Bowden cable. While these arrangements accommodate shift levers having various bends or angular orientations with respect to the body of the shift lever, these devices do not readily accommodate shift levers having different lengths.